The Princess Behind the Shepherd
by Chelse30
Summary: When a young Snow White's kingdom is attacked she is sent away to a safe location. For a young shepherd, a mysterious girl comes to his farm changing his life forever. AU where Snow and Charming meet as children.
1. Chapter 1

_AN: An AU of a young Snow being sent to a safe location after her castle came under attack._

_This is my first attempt of a multi-chapter fanfic, so please forgive if it take me a while to update! My muse is not a reliable thing! Also this is unbetea'd so all mistakes are mine (aka if you see one don't hesitate to let me know!)_

_Do not own _Once Upon a Time_ blah blah. Y'all know the drill!_

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**Chapter 1**

It was well past midnight when Snow was being shaken from her sleep.

"Princess, Princess!" The voice was quiet, a sense of urgency easily detectable. "Wake up, child!"

"Johanna?" The young girl yawned while sitting up in her bed. "What's going on?"

"You must hurry! I will explain everything once we've left, but you must get dressed quickly!"

Throwing back the covers, Snow quickly got up and reached for the clothes she was being handed. "Leave? We're leaving? But why, it's the middle of the night!" She glanced down at the dress she was about to put on. It wasn't her usual white dress, but instead looked like something one of the servants in the castle would wear. "What is this? This isn't mine."

"It is now, put it on quickly. We must leave soon. The horses will be ready shortly." Walking to the one of the bay windows in the room, Johanna peered down into the night hoping to get a glimpse of the said horses being prepared

"But what-" Snow started again but was quickly cut off by a loud crash sounding from the hall. "Johanna, what's happening?" Instead of a response she was grabbed by the wrist and pulled through a hidden door she had never known was there. A few torches were placed along the wall every few feet, but even their light did nothing to quell the princess's fears. "Johanna, please, tell me what is happening!"

"Your kingdom is under attack," the older woman replied while still pulling the girl down the corridor. "You have been arranged to stay somewhere until everything has calmed down." Pushing through another hidden door, she pulled Snow over to the two waiting horses. The young princess looked up at the castle and could hear the clang of swords ringing from inside.

"What about my father and Regina?" she asked after being lifted on to her horse by a waiting stableman. She looked down at her maid who was holding on to the reins tightly, a pained expression on her face. "They're not coming with me…is he?"

"No dear. They must stay here and protect the kingdom. But you'll see them soon, I promise." She smiled up at the girl hoping to ease some of her discomfort. Grabbing the girl's hand, she pressed a kiss to the top of it before slowly letting it go. "You'll be safe where you are going."

"You're not coming?" Snow's voice sounded a little hysterical even to herself. "I can't go alone!"

"Yes you can! Patrick will you be taking you to the safe place," Johanna nodded to the soldier who came to stand next to them, "and there you will be protected. He will explain the other details on your journey. Remember to be a good girl and besides, this is only temporary. You will be back home before you know it!"

Johanna stepped away from the horse, consciously making sure to keep a gentle smile on her lips. She waved at the retreating forms of Snow and Patrick as they began their journey away from the castle.

Snow kept looking back to her home, the tears in her eyes making the image blurry. Stubbornly wiping them away she looked forward again determined to act like the strong princess she wanted to be.

"It will be alright, Princess Snow, no harm will come to you," Patrick said trying to comfort the girl.

Looking towards the soldier, Snow smiled softly for the first time since being awoken. "Thank you, Patrick."

* * *

Ruth had been staring at the fire for what seemed like hours. She was clutching a letter in her left hand, her right helping to prop her head up from the table. Glancing back down at the letter, she wondered when her life became so dictated by deals to save her farm…

_To whom it may concern,  
In regards to our previous letters, the time has come for our plan to come to action. The young girl will be sent to you in a few days and we hope that she will be protected and cared for in your home. For security purposes, we will not tell you her name or where she is from; just know she is of great importance to many people.  
For taking her in, you will be compensated and your family will never suffer any form of hardship. We thank you profusely and hope to retrieve the girl in due time.  
Also, we ask that she knows nothing of what you will be getting with her staying there. You will most likely come to learn that she will not take lightly to that news.  
Again we thank you._

"Mother?" Ruth flinched at the sudden noise and dropped the letter on the table.

"David! You scared me. What are you doing awake still?" Her son shuffled across the room and sat next to his mother at the table.

"Couldn't sleep. Why are you still awake?" Instead of answering, Ruth nodded to the table. He noticed the letter and began to read it.

After a few moments of silence he set the paper back down and looked at his mother.

"When is she coming?" he asked with no emotion. Ruth could tell the boy was holding back his feelings but decided not to question him about it.

"I'd assume tomorrow afternoon at the earliest," she sighed, rubbing a hand over her face. "In the last letter it said that where she was coming from is about a day's ride." David only nodded but continued to stare at the fire like Ruth was doing before. "Everything will be alright, son. We'll have money again and the farm will prosper." David only nodded but didn't look away from the flames.

Ruth continued to gaze at her son wondering why he was suddenly hiding his feeling; he was usually so expressive and easy to read. But before she could even form her question, he turned away from the fire and looked at her.

"I'm going to sleep. Good night, Mother." He walked back to his bed and crawled under the blankets.

Ruth prodded the fire a bit more before retiring to bed herself. Unbeknownst to her, David laid awake staring at the ceiling, wondering what kind of adventures this new girl would bring to his life.

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_Reviews are always nice... :)_


	2. Chapter 2

_AN: Hey guys...yeah...it has been a while between chapter one and chapter two. I honestly don't have any excuse other than I hit writer's block. Forgive me?_

_Still don't own _Once Upon a Time_. Sad._

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It was the middle of the afternoon when David found himself leaning against a tree, trying his hardest not to fall asleep. He had spent the entire morning working in the pasture and was wishing longingly for his bed. During the night he had been awake thinking of the mysterious girl who was coming to live at his home. He had so many questions but he knew his mother knew none of the answers and he was fairly certain the girl wouldn't be much help either once she arrived.

Sinking to the ground, David struggled to keep his eyes open. His mother had said the girl could arrive sometime during the day, and he certainly did not want to be asleep when she did.

Again his thoughts began to drift. The foremost thought that kept nagging him was why his mother thought this whole situation was a good idea. His father had only passed away a few months ago, surely the farm wasn't struggling that much. Was it really necessary to take in another person even if it meant they would have money again?

* * *

The sun was beginning to break the tree tops when the pair on horseback broke through the forest line. Snow was delighted to see rolling green hills in front of her instead of the dreary trees she had been surrounded by for countless hours. There was only so much green and brown one person could look at before getting bored.

The young princess had somehow managed to get a few hours of sleep the previous night before being woken by Patrick and climbing back into the saddle. They had been riding for near two days and the girl was longing for a bed to sleep in. Never having been in a situation that forced her to sleep on the hard ground, the pampered child was quickly becoming irritated.

"Are you listening to me?" Snow whipped her head around to look at Patrick, startled by his voice.

"I'm sorry, what?"

Patrick only sighed and gave her a look before repeating himself. Snow was positive that if Johanna was with her she would have gotten a stern lecture about paying attention.

"In order to protect yourself, we've created a cover story for you."

"But why do I need a cover story? I thought I was safe wherever it is we're going," the girl interrupted, clearly not understanding the seriousness of the situation.

"Where _you're_ going," Patrick corrected. "Remember I'm not staying with you. And you need to be hidden. Anyone could be a threat towards you, hence the story. Now let's review. What is your name and story?"

Snow sighed heavily before speaking. "My name is Mary. While my village was being attacked by bandits I managed to escape to another town. Once there I met up with some members of the town and they informed me of a small farm way out in the country who was willing to take in someone affected by the attack. My father said he'll come for me as soon as he can and until then I am to stay with this new family."

"Very good," Patrick praised smiling encouragingly at the girl. "Now what are you going to say if someone says you look like Princess Snow White?"

"That I am nothing but a poor miller's daughter who has had a rough life," Snow scowled, unhappy with this new fake persona she was being forced to accept. She had wanted to be a merchant's daughter (they got better pay and could have prettier clothing) but when she had asked Patrick about changing her story, the soldier couldn't have said no faster.

"Excellent!" The young princess beamed at the praise. "Now, if the directions I was given are to be believed, the farm should only be a few miles further." Snow sighed and slouched a little on her horse. "Before we arrive, Princess, I must remind you again how important it is that you never speak of your true life. To anyone."

It was the sternest voice Snow had heard of Patrick on their journey together. "I swear Patrick, I will not tell a single soul." Nodding his approval, the soldier quickened his horse, eager to get this journey done with.

Tilting her head curiously Snow called out to her protector. "What are you going to do once you leave me?" Patrick pulled his horse to a stop and turned to face her. It was the first time he had heard a hint of fear in the girl's voice their entire trip. Giving her a small smile he turned back around and continued on.

"I plan on visiting my family to make sure they are safe, and then return to the castle and wait for new orders."

"Family?" Snow questioned the bewilderment clear in her question. The soldier only chuckled.

"Yes. My family lives only a few miles from the castle," he answered. "My wife and two children. I have not seen them in months and I want to ensure they were not harmed by the attacks." Snow remained silent. She suddenly felt very guilty for having Patrick escorting her when he could have been with his family. If the pain she missed for her father was the same the soldier's family felt for him, she felt awful being the reason for their pain.

"I'm sorry that you have to be here with me instead of with your family, Patrick."

"Nonsense. Protecting the royal family is my duty and my family understands that. I just fear for them when I must leave them for an extended period of time."

Not fully believing him, Snow stayed quiet and continued to watch the fields in front of her.

* * *

Still lying beneath the tree, David slowly awoke from the nap he had tried so hard to avoid. Stretching his neck and arms, he slowly stood from his spot and once again leaned against the tree. As he surveyed the farm he spotted his mother doing work in the yard. Sighing he started to make his way back to the house, but with only a few steps behind him he heard the loud shout coming from the edge of the pasture.

As he ran across the field, he spotted two horses near their flock of sheep. The biggest horse still had a rider, but the other, smaller one, was empty.

Quickening his pace, David almost shouted to the lone rider, but stopped when he saw her.

Fallen to the ground, obviously from the other horse, was a young girl covered in mud and grass. Even with the unhappiest of expressions on her face, the young shepherd couldn't help but laugh. One of the lambs was curiously sniffing her before she jerked away, and, unluckily, landed in another spot of mud.

"She won't hurt you," he called out, hoping to ease some of the girl's fear. The girl looked up at his call but still inched away from the animal. "Really, she's very friendly." Now standing behind the small creature, David crouched down and pulled the lamb into his arms.

"It's her fault I fell off my horse," the girl replied sourly, giving the white lamb a glare.

"I highly doubt that," David laughed, scratching the lamb behind the ears. "How could anything as white as snow cause someone pain?"

The girl blushed and looked away, but he could see the smile creep across her face.

"I'm David by the way." He held out his hand shyly, unsure how she would take his gesture. Surprisingly she looked back at him before grasping his hand with her own.

"I'm Mary."

* * *

After being thrown from her horse by a small farm animal, Snow was more than ready to return to her palace and never leave for as long as she lived. But with this blue-eyed boy in front of her, holding said creature so carefully in his arms, her annoyance started to drift away.

"It's her fault I fell off my horse," she sassily replied trying to keep up the front of being annoyed. When she heard the boy laugh, she felt her irritation slowly build up again.

"I highly doubt that. How could anything white as snow cause someone pain?"

Even though he couldn't possibly understand the double meaning behind his words, Snow still could feel her face turn red and turned away before he could question her.

"I'm David by the way," she heard him say and saw him stick out his hand from the corner of her eye. Her many lessons of etiquette surged through and she turned back, firmly grasping his hand in her own.

"I'm S-Mary," she replied quietly, fighting the urge to curtsy knowing that was something a miller's daughter wouldn't do with someone of equal status.

"It's nice to meet you, Mary."

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_So what did you all think? :)_


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